Career and Education Opportunities for Psychiatric Aides in Newark, New Jersey

Psychiatric aides can find many career and educational opportunities in the Newark, New Jersey area. There are currently 2,800 working psychiatric aides in New Jersey; this should shrink 8% to about 2,600 working psychiatric aides in the state by 2016. This is not quite as good as the nation as a whole, where employment opportunities for psychiatric aides are expected to grow by about 5.8%. In general, psychiatric aides assist mentally impaired or emotionally disturbed patients, working under direction of nursing and medical staff.

The income of a psychiatric aide is about $14 hourly or $31,060 annually on average in New Jersey. In the U.S. as a whole, their income is about $12 per hour or $26,560 yearly on average. Incomes for psychiatric aides are not quite as good as in the overall category of Medical and Dental Assistance in New Jersey, and not quite as good as the overall Medical and Dental Assistance category nationally. Psychiatric aides work in a variety of jobs, including: mental health worker, health service worker, and neuropsychiatric aide.

The Newark area is home to 318 schools of higher education, including two within twenty-five miles of Newark where you can get a degree as a psychiatric aide. The most common level of education for psychiatric aides is a high school diploma or GED. You can expect to spend only a short time training to become a psychiatric aide if you already have a high school diploma.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: Psychiatric Aide

Psychiatric Aide video from the State of New Jersey Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development

In general, psychiatric aides assist mentally impaired or emotionally disturbed patients, working under direction of nursing and medical staff.

Psychiatric aides monitor patients in order to uncover unusual behavior, and report observations to professional staff. They also organize and encourage patient participation in social and recreational activities. Equally important, psychiatric aides have to participate in recreational efforts with patients, including card games or television viewing. They are often called upon to accompany clients to and from wards for medical and dental treatments, shopping trips, and religious and recreational events. They are expected to furnish patients with assistance in bathing and grooming, demonstrating these skills as needed. Finally, psychiatric aides aid patients in becoming accustomed to hospital routine.

Every day, psychiatric aides are expected to be able to articulate ideas and problems. They need to evaluate problems as they arise.

It is important for psychiatric aides to serve meals, and feed patients needing assistance or persuasion. They are often called upon to interview patients upon admission and record data. They also clean and disinfect rooms and furnishings to maintain a safe and orderly environment. They are sometimes expected to execute nursing duties such as administering medications, measuring vital signs, collecting specimens and drawing blood samples. Somewhat less frequently, psychiatric aides are also expected to furnish mentally impaired or emotionally disturbed patients with routine physical, emotional, psychological or rehabilitation care under the direction of nursing and medical staff.

They also have to be able to work as part of a team that may include psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric nurses and social staff And finally, they sometimes have to accompany clients to and from wards for medical and dental treatments, shopping trips, and religious and recreational events.

Like many other jobs, psychiatric aides must have a strong concern for others and have strong self control in the face of challenging situations.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Psychiatric Aide Training

CUNY Kingsborough Community College - Brooklyn, NY

CUNY Kingsborough Community College, 2001 Oriental Blvd, Brooklyn, NY 11235-2398. CUNY Kingsborough Community College is a large college located in Brooklyn, New York. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 16,117 students. CUNY Kingsborough Community College has an associate's degree program in Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician which graduated fifty-two students in 2008.

CUNY LaGuardia Community College - Long Island City, NY

CUNY LaGuardia Community College, 31-10 Thomson Ave, Long Island City, NY 11101. CUNY LaGuardia Community College is a large college located in Long Island City, New York. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 15,285 students. CUNY LaGuardia Community College has an associate's degree program in Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician which graduated seventy-two students in 2008.

LOCATION INFORMATION: Newark, New Jersey

Newark, New Jersey photo by Gik%C3%BC

Newark is located in Essex County, New Jersey. It has a population of over 278,980, which has grown by 2.0% in the past ten years. The cost of living index in Newark, 140, is far greater than the national average. New single-family homes in Newark are priced at $83,500 on average, which is far less than the state average. In 2008, ninety-nine new homes were built in Newark, up from twenty-nine the previous year.

The three big industries for women in Newark are health care, educational services, and finance and insurance. For men, it is construction, administrative and support and waste management services, and accommodation and food services. The average commute to work is about 32 minutes. More than 9.0% of Newark residents have a bachelor's degree, which is lower than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 3.0%, is lower than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Newark is 14.8%, which is greater than New Jersey's average of 9.3%.

The percentage of Newark residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 57.0%, is more than the national average but less than the state average. First Mount Zion Baptist Church, First Newborn Tabernacle Church and First Presbyterian Church are among the churches located in Newark. The most common religious groups are the Catholic Church, the Muslim Estimate and the American Baptist Churches in the USA.

Newark is home to the Clinton Branch Newark Public Library and the Brills Yard as well as Rippel Field and River Bank Park. Visitors to Newark can choose from Fairfield Inn and Suites, Days Hotel Newark Airport and Broad Street Hotel LLC for temporary stays in the area.